The benefits of insoluble fibre, for bowel regularity and overall health, have been known and highly praised by health professionals. New research now suggests even more reasons to prioritise fibre in our regular diet.
Published in Nutrients, this new study from the University of Minnesota has found that each plant source of insoluble fibre contains unique bio-actives — compounds that are linked to lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and type-2 diabetes, offering potential benefits beyond those of the fibre itself.
“People understand the need for fibre and how it relates to gut health, an area of wellness that is becoming increasingly important as scientific research continues to reveal its impact on overall health and well-being. Fibre is the marker of health that is included in our dietary guidelines and found on product labels, but our research indicates that we need to ensure that other valuable components of fibre-containing plant sources, the bioactives, are also recognised as providing valuable benefits for human health,” explained Dr Joanne Slavin, co-author on the study and a professor at the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota.
Aggregating the existing literature on the health benefits of bio-actives in plant sources of insoluble dietary fibre, the researchers found that a variety of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains, contain insoluble dietary fibre, and that each source contains unique bio-actives that support health in different ways.
Further, desirable bio-actives such as quercetin, resveratrol, catechins, anthocyanins, lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene were found in a variety of plant foods that also contain insoluble dietary fibre. Researchers observed that plant sources with bio-actives and insoluble dietary fibre could be used to fortify processed foods to increase their nutritional value. Food production by-products, such as peel, hulls, pulp or pomace, are generally high in fibre and bio-actives and, therefore, offer unique nutritional value from sustainable sources.
Dr Jan-Willem Van Klinken, co-author on the study and senior vice president of medical, scientific and regulatory affairs for Brightseed, additionally said: “The suggestion to eat more fruits and vegetables isn’t a novel idea, but it’s something most people still struggle to do. If we can offer widely accessible fibre-fortified products that have been developed to enhance rather than negate bioactive content, we can provide consumers with increased nutritional value.”
Researchers believe that their findings on the impact of bio-actives on human health, emphasises the need for industry, academia and government to join forces to champion broad awareness and education of bio-actives in food and health systems.
“The collection of literature we reviewed and the results of this research can serve as a paradigm shift in how the food and health industries, as well as consumers, view insoluble dietary fibre and bioactives. Continued research and broad inclusion of bioactives in foods and supplements can have a real impact on human health,” said Madeline Timm, the lead author of the study, who’s taken up this research as her graduate project at the University of Minnesota.
The researchers agree that further study is required to identify extraction and processing methods that preserve and optimise bioactive compounds.
